a chronicle of the eating experiences of two girls from cincinnati's westside

Wednesday, December 3, 2008

just wow.

we finally made the trek down columbia parkway to terry's turf club to see what all the buzz is about. wow. i get the buzz.

brian and i arrived first (a rarity, i assure you) and put our name in. luckily we only had to wait about a half hour for a table; let me assure you that in the years that i have been friends with them i can think of MAYBE one other time that this has occurred. its nice to not have to wait. a party of four arriving shortly after us had still not been seated by the time we finished eating. we stood outside to wait. they had heaters and peanuts, so what more could we ask for?

i don't know exactly what i was picturing. for some reason "turf club" evoked flattened green carpet, dark wood paneling seasoned with grease and smoke, and dusty plastic ferns. i don't know what i had in mind either. what we found instead was a wonderland of color and light. the first 15 minutes we were sitting down, we were all gazing around, entranced by the neon glow. beth kept saying "i can't stop looking".i can say that i spent a good part of the evening not socializing with my friends but staring at the walls.

the place is tiny. and it was PACKED. beth commented that if there was a fire, we would all die. what can i say??? its the survialist in my and i like to know where all my exits are.

the menu is deceptively simple and straightforward. meats, toppings, sauces. but as i began to consider what i was going to order, i realized the combinations were endless and all equally tantalizing. bleu cheese or goat cheese? bacon? grilled onions? crab meat? burgundy sauce?

i decided on the burger with bleu cheese, bacon, light onions, and burgundy sauce with mushrooms. all the burgers, especially when they are busy, are cooked medium. beth ordered hers on the rare side, but i'm not sure if it was any different than the rest. i honestly can't say that i saw a difference between the rest BUT that doesn't mean it wasn't cooked to perfection. again, met me say WOW.

while we waited we drank so beer. they have chimay blue on the menu. internalized happy dance ensued.

here is what arrived.oh my god. i had no idea such perfection could be served on a dixie plate. the bun, the meat, the fries, everything was amazing. things were falling out of the bun it was packed so full. i love a hamburger that is not smaller than the bread it's on. juicy but not greasy, flavorful but not heavy. i don't know how they do it. (i suspect butter, maybe heroin) the fries were also heavenly. i have kind of stopped eating fries (don't need the extra calories), but i could have eaten twice as many of these. they were kind of like penn station fries, only way better. when fries taste that wonderful you can't help but eat every single one of them. any hopes of "eating well" is thrown out the window and you can only just savor every bite. every single on my plate was wonderful.

my only complaint is that it was over too soon. i wanted to keep eating. and let me note that had they placed more food on my plate i would have eaten all of that as well.

here is brian's. he said it was fantastic and seriously considered ordering another one. he wants to go back next week and is also willing to drive the excessive distance for carry-out (not excessive to eat in, but excessive to carry-out). he is addicted.this first burger is mine. i went for a simplier option. just bleu cheese........eric had a variation of what krissy had which is below mine. goat cheese, mushroom sauce and grilled onions. oh and bacon.all in all, i would agree with wine me, dine me and get in mah belly. terry's has one damn good burger. it is the first burger to rate a 6...yes, that's right, divine bovine. additionally, beth and i both unthinkingly wore cream and neither of us got anything on ourselves. good things happen at terry's! it truly was a night of miracles; here's a quick recap -- they were EARLY, food was WONDERFUL and no MESS!

our service was also great, considering how crowded it was. the bathroom, however...

I've tried several combinations but I think my favorite so far is the red pepper/goat cheese sauce with a topping of portabello mushroom. It's like getting two burgers for the price of one b/c they put a WHOLE portabello cap on top of the burger!

Mediocre burgers. Horrible presentation. I'm not talking about the paper plates- thats fine. Its that they come out to you looking like they have been prepared by Hellen Keller. Not really sure what all the rave is about. I'm not really into the setting -crowded, wobbly tables, and having to eat while looking at waiting customers ass's, but OK, it kitschy, their shtick; I get that. Good, heavy pour on the martini's though. I've been there 3x- every time the burger was not done to order. Hint to Terry's: don't ask how you would like the doneness of the burgers if you can't manage the griddle. Just make them all med. or med. well. A well made burger with quality meat can handle it - otherwise you just disappoint your customers. I'm a purist when it comes to burgers. The beef is the star so I don't like saucing it up with something that detracts from the meat - if its good quality you only need the basics. So I didn't really get into the "special sauces". Maybe they are good and that's why people like the place. If you are one into mushroom/wine type sauce, then you might like the place.

The fries. Terry's major downfall. They seem to be more braised in oil than fried. I picked up a french fried and I swear it bowed east towards Mecca. My 10 year old daughter who will eat any French fry wanted chips instead. "Yeah, the fries are not that great", is consistently the response I get from people who say they think they have great burgers. ????? To be a burger place and not having at least decent fries is like going to a French Bistro and having server bring Wonder bread to the table.

fritz - i agree the fries have not been very good on my return trips; a little overly oiled and fried for my liking.i also have to say i'm partial to burgers with stuff on them. i'm not a purist because, basically, i don't like meat that much. i usually count on my husband to determine the deliciousness of the beef.i am curious for your burger recommendations. please comment or drop an email. thanks!

the recipe for our friendship

we're just two girls born and bred on the westside who grew up loving high school football, church festivals, cheap beer, and, of course, food. we're always looking for something new to taste, even if it's not the most recent addition to the menu at price hill chili.as is the genesis for many great friendships, we met through a mutual friend at a bar, circa 2000, and realized it was unbelievable we hadn't met previously. we knew the same people, had hung out at the same places, probably passed each other a million times. we were (and are) each other's kevin bacon. we both like to eat, drink, and eat some more. and, let's be honest, drink some more, too.questions? we'd love to hear from you at westsidefoodiewannabes@gmail.com.